Once Lost

by Brenda Dugas

  They followed the same road Leah had driven on her way home the previous day. The soft leather was rather inviting and the new car smell of his sporty black BMW was quite a change from the large work truck she was becoming accustomed to seeing him drive. As they neared the convenience store, she noticed a narrow trail the gray car might have turned down while waiting for her to get back on the road. “Is something wrong?” Slade asked, noticing Leah’s intense gaze as she surveyed the roadside. “Oh, I’m sorry! No, everything is fine. What were you saying?” she decided to dismiss the thought.

  The drive passed pleasantly enough, as they engaged in idle conversation, mostly centered on Leah’s first two weeks at work. Had she met everyone? Had she found her way around the facility? Was there anything she needed to help her do the job? The discussion led on to her list of projects, and by the time they arrived at the most exquisite looking seaside steakhouse Leah had ever seen, there was nothing left to discuss about work…So now what?

  As they walked inside, the staff members extended a warm welcome to Slade, obviously a familiar face to them. The meal was deliciously prepared and perfectly delivered. The steaks were grilled to perfection, and Leah realized the last time she had been to an expensive restaurant was the night she had broken her engagement…It’ll stay broken, too! Leah thought briefly about the texts from Craig.

  Looking at the handsome face across the table from her, she noticed a slight dimple every time he smiled. Is this the first time I’ve ever seen him smile? His eyes seemed to glisten in a way she had never seen before, or maybe just never noticed. Leah caught herself wondering what it would be like to be engaged to someone like Slade, but this is not a “date!” Get a grip! She reminded herself. It must have been the glass of wine that made it so easy to see him in a different light now.

  If it was indeed the wine, it seemed to have the same effect on Slade, as he relaxed and they got down to the business of enjoying every delicious bite of the meal, and every minute of each other’s company…but what about the blonde that shares his home? Leah pondered ever so briefly, but the intimacy of the secluded little booth enticed her to become lost in the meal, the moment, and those amber eyes! She realized how lonely she had been for the company of a significant other, admitting this was starting to feel a lot more like a real date than a work meeting. She was enjoying it! And they say not to mix business with pleasure…who knew?

  Surprisingly, Slade had a lighter side. He even had a great since of humor! The conversation flowed easily and the magic continued. After dessert, he took her hand leading her outside the restaurant, along a boardwalk that led to a long line of yachts, dimly lit by a line of flickering street lamps. The lights of Rockport were visible in the distance, nestled along the dark hillside. They both seemed caught up in the moment as they took in the view. No words seemed necessary.

  The wine must have formed a conspiracy with the man in the moon…she thought dreamily as the full moon rose above the horizon, its soft orange light shimmering over the bay. They found their way to a nearby park bench.

  There was a chill in the night air, and Leah realized she had left her jacket at home. Slade edged closer and put his arm around her shoulders as she shivered slightly in the ocean breeze. He drew her closer, his closeness having the same effect on her. The amber eyes that had once shot sparks now seemed to be smoldering embers as his lips sought hers in a kiss as intoxicating as the wine itself… Wow! Is this really happening?

  And then in a moment, the spell was broken. A car appeared out of nowhere, its blinding headlights intruding upon the couple on the bench. The dark colored car quickly circled off into the darkness, burning its tires as it sped away. The couple reluctantly emerged from the fairy tale. They rose together and walked back toward the car, sad that the magic had been stolen.

  The two were both quiet on the drive back to Leah’s house; so quiet she wondered if he regretted getting carried away in the moment. Now seeming preoccupied, he gave her a quick hug when he dropped her off, and didn’t even walk her to her door.

  Confused, Leah lay awake, trying to absorb the evening. How had they arrived at this point...HAD to be the wine. There was no other logical explanation to have fallen so utterly and completely under the spell of another man just four short months after her broken engagement. And not just any man… Slade Coleman! That’s just crazy! Even though the evening had ended mostly in silence, she felt an awareness deep in her being that something had changed…

  Chapter 9

  The church bell chimed as she walked again into the Sunday morning service. Leah couldn't get her mind off last night and wondered if she and Slade would be uncomfortable working together now. She needed to experience something commonplace to get her head out of the clouds and back to reality. Is the man taken? And if so, where was she last night?

  As the service ended and she got up to leave, a voice spoke from behind her, and she turned, happy to see the friendly smile of Mrs. Croft. “Good morning, Sunshine!” the older woman greeted her warmly. “You’re glowing today!” she remarked. Great! Is it that noticeable? How am I going to hide this Cheshire cat smile tomorrow? Leah always was one to wear her heart on her sleeve! She really would have to get this under control!

  “Good morning Mrs. Croft. How are you today?”

  “Running, I’m afraid. It’s that Miss Anderson again. She’s worse than ever this morning! She and Mr. Coleman had a huge argument last night, maybe she’ll leave now,” she whispered conspiringly. Leah felt somehow responsible and guiltily tried to ease out the door, but Mrs. Croft was right beside her. “It’s time someone put that woman back in her place! She’s been acting like Mr. Coleman’s wife, like she had some kind of right to live in his home and run his business! I’m so proud of him; he finally laid it all on the line! He told her to get on with her life so he could get on with his. She’s held him back as long as he’s going to let her! Oh, I’m sorry, Dear, I’m sure you don’t want to hear all of this,” she winked!

  Mrs. Croft was oblivious to others who were walking through the church exit and out to the parking lot. Slade was well enough known in the area that Leah hoped she wouldn’t be overheard by anyone who would gossip about his private affairs. Yet, it was good to know that he wasn’t permanently attached to the blonde. The revelation one could get while at church!

  Mrs. Croft continued on, “Oh, she tried playing on his sympathy, but that didn’t work either. He knows that woman all too well. She’s trying to stall for time now until she can think of some reason to stick around… something about needing to wait until she can get her car out of the shop. Well, maybe after that, it’ll be the end of her for a while. But then, she never leaves for long. Oh, she’ll be back, you can count on that!” She shook her head in disgust. The prediction left Leah feeling uneasy. As she reached her vehicle, she politely ended the conversation.

  Opening her car door, Leah heard the alert of another text message. Dreading to look at the screen, she sighed with relief when Dustin’s name appeared, “Just now driving back. Won’t get to Rockport until late. Catch up with you tomorrow?”

  “Yes, I have a lot to tell you!”

  Yesterday morning Leah would have been disappointed that his return had been delayed, but now she needed private time to process the events of this weekend: the car that had followed her home from work on Friday, Craig’s text messages, her date…yes, date…with Slade on Saturday, and her conversation with Mrs. Croft this morning concerning the blonde. Thank goodness she had the rest of the day to herself! She certainly needed it!

  ***

  Alaine sat fuming as Slade’s words from the previous night played over and over in her mind. She was now on a mission. She had to find out more about Leah Liles, this woman had to be behind Slade’s irrational behavior!

  She drove to a nearby town to meet privately with John Connerly, a police detective who had been a friend of hers for years and a source of valuable information when she had to get it discretely. He had never once
let her down. She needed his help now more than ever, her future with Slade was hanging in the balance.

  ***

  As Leah drove to work the next morning, she wondered how Slade felt. She was a little apprehensive, fearing that it would be obvious to others that something had changed between them. Or has it? She decided to avoid him as much as possible, at least in the presence of her coworkers.

  As it happened, Slade had left Leah a voicemail message asking her to reschedule his meetings. He had business that would keep him away for most of the week. She felt a wave of relief…or was it disappointment, as she began her work for the day.

  She quickly became caught up in the flurry of activity over preparations for the company picnic that was scheduled for the upcoming weekend. It was an annual company event with food and entertainment, well attended by employees of C & A Enterprises and their families. Leah had decided not to attend; like I’d want to go alone.

  She was startled as she heard two familiar voices approaching her door.

  “Glad you could come by the office. I need to talk to you about Saturday!” Liz's voice seemed animated.

  ”It’s good to be back.” Was that Dustin’s voice? “I’ll come by in a few minutes, I need to speak with Slade first.” He rounded the corner where he stood facing Leah’s desk.

  “Leah? What are you doing here?”

  “You two know each other?” Liz stood at his side, looking up accusingly, and waiting for an explanation.

  “Yea, Leah and I met the day she arrived in Rockport,” Dustin responded, still puzzled over Leah’s presence at his workplace.

  “I’m a temp! I’ve been here for two weeks now. I told you I had a lot to tell you! Surprise! And Slade, um… I mean, Mr. Coleman, will not be coming in this week.”

  “She’s filling in as Slade’s assistant while Melissa is on maternity leave. Remember, we talked about this!” Liz’s expression reminded him of their phone conversation two weeks prior.

  “Oh, I see! Well that’s great!” Dustin was genuinely happy for Leah. “So you and the boss must have made peace, I guess?” He flashed his childlike grin Leah had grown to love.

  “What are you talking about?” Liz prodded. “Peace over what?”

  “Leah also met Slade the day she arrived here and they didn’t exactly see eye to eye!” Dustin teased, chuckling at the memory. “Well since you’re here, Leah, I’ll pick you up Saturday morning for the picnic! You’ll get to meet the guys who work in the shop with me.”

  “Ok, sounds great.” Leah didn’t really wish to attend the picnic, but she didn’t want to refuse in front of Liz Michaels either. Liz’s jaw dropped almost in protest, but she quickly regained her composure and turned to leave. “I’ll be there in a moment,” Dustin called out to her.

  “Never mind,” she answered. “I don’t need anything.” It was obvious to Leah that Liz had hoped to go to the picnic with Dustin.

  Secretly, Dustin was satisfied with himself for sidestepping her invitation. Maybe she’ll get the message that I’m just not interested.

  The week had passed without Slade making any appearance at all. There were some stormy days during the work week; but Saturday morning dawned bright and clear, perfect for the picnic, just as though Slade Coleman had ordered it that way. Leah hoped he wouldn’t misinterpret her presence with Dustin as anything more than friendship.

  Dustin arrived early. The two had coffee and were on their way. He drove to a park that was situated across the street from the bayside steakhouse where Leah and Slade had dined the previous Saturday. That night seemed like so long ago now. She couldn’t help but stare at that little park bench and smile at the moment it held. If only that dang car wouldn’t have shown up when it did!

  The activities were well underway, with children playing and the delicious aroma of grilled meat filling the air. Dustin was great company, leading Leah around, introducing her to the outside work crew. She marveled over how large C & A Enterprises must be, to have so many employees. Teams were being formed for a game of basketball, and a group of guys called out to Dustin, who enthusiastically agreed to join them. Leah was alone on the bleachers waiting for the game to begin when a voice came from behind. “When the cat’s away…” she turned to see Slade at her side.

  “Well, there you are!” She noticed the way her whole being seemed to come alive at his presence. “I was planning to stay home rather than come alone, but Dustin insisted I should meet everyone.”

  “Slade, Darling! There you are! I’ve been looking all over for you!” A female voice interrupted...

  “Alaine?” Slade turned to face the blonde bombshell, who was surveying Leah.

  “You didn’t think I would miss the annual picnic, did you Darling?” she asked sweetly. I don’t believe I’ve met you,” Alaine cooed, facing Leah.

  “Uh. Hello, I’m Leah,” Leah smiled and extended her hand. The other woman’s grip seemed cold.

  “Alaine Anderson, I’m sure you’ve heard of me. Slade and I live at the Coleman House.” She smiled up at Slade, her meaning unmistakable to Leah. “We’re waiting for you to join us over here, Darling.” She walked in the direction of the main building.

  “What was that about the cat?” Leah returned his taunt as Slade lagged behind.

  “We’ll discuss this later.” Slade spoke softly, looking meaningfully toward the steak house across the street. She followed his gaze and the blonde appeared again, just in time to catch Leah blushing. Alaine didn’t try to hide behind a nice façade this time. She glared at Leah. Speaking of cats, it looks like this one’s out of the bag! Her icy glare lingered in Leah’s mind as she guided him to the opposite side of the park.

  The games continued as one team after another was eliminated, and it came down to the final two teams. The competition became intense, with Slade on one team and Dustin on the other. Someone commented that the two men seemed at times to be competing one on one. Leah suspected they were competing for her attention. She watched quietly, as the cheers went up for each side, not sure which team to cheer for. She just wished the game would end soon.

  Across the park, two women sat together out of sight, and neither was pleased with the spectacle. “I’ve never seen Slade act this way. This woman has to go!” Alaine huffed.

  “Did the detective find out anything about her?” Liz asked. “We need to get rid of her, and the sooner the better, before she sinks her claws into Slade or Dustin. I really felt like Dustin was starting to come around…before she came along.”

  “I’m still waiting for his report. He’s having problems looking up birth records and such, But Slade told me she was a “friend of Dustin’s.” Alaine watched Liz’s face as she digested this unwelcome piece of news.

  “Maybe she isn’t who she says she is. Maybe she has something to hide.”

  “If there’s a skeleton in her closet, he’ll flush it out. I feel sure of that!”

  “So in the meantime, what should we do? As far as I’m concerned, the sooner we can get rid of her, the better!”

  “We’ll have to bide our time. You can still get to her at work. Don’t do anything rash, but watch for an opportunity. Whatever it is, just make sure you don’t get caught!” The two women slipped off in different directions to mingle with the crowd.

  The game ended amid cheers with Slade’s team winning, of course.

  The evening chill crept into the air as the sun sank slower toward the horizon. Families with young children said their goodbyes and the crowd started gradually thinning out. Those remaining were smaller close knit groups who seemed to know each other well, and Leah began to feel like an outsider. Slade and Dustin had both been commissioned to assist in getting the cleanup organized, and she found herself sitting alone again. The restaurant lights came on across the street and Leah’s thoughts drifted back once again to the previous Saturday. She saw Dustin walking toward her smiling, and felt a pang of regret that she would be leaving with him instead of Slade.

  She tried to
keep up lively conversation on the way back to Rockport, hoping he wouldn’t suspect that anything had changed. Leah wasn’t the same, not after that night, that date, and that kiss! But she was glad that Dustin had returned soon enough to invite her to the picnic. She hadn’t socialized much in the past several months, and realized now how much she missed having friends around, especially Samantha.

  Sam had been going through a rough patch herself, having left Florida for an extended period of time to care for a parent who had fallen ill. She was glad at least that Sam hadn’t been close enough for Craig to harass her in an effort to get to Leah. But now she sure could use her friend being around, to help sort out everything going on, including these new strange feelings she wasn’t sure what to do with. She’d texted her friend some of the small details, but there was still so much catching up to do.

  As the two approached the final stretch of the drive, Leah forced a yawn, “Think I’ll turn in early tonight. I’m exhausted!” Dustin mentioned that he had to get an early start the following morning and left after watching her walk to her door. She appreciated him taking the hint, as she knew that he would normally have planned to come inside for a while. Only a week ago Leah would have been eager to hear about his work assignment at the Great Lakes facility… but a lot had changed in a week!

  Now alone in the house, she wondered if Slade was back at the Coleman house with Alaine. In reality, the night was still young, and Leah was not nearly ready for bed. Maybe it was time to catch Sam up on events of the past couple of months. She sat on her front porch swing, the latest addition to her renovations, and dialed the familiar number in the quiet evening darkness. There was an immediate answer on the other end… Sam was just as eager as Leah to catch up on the past several months. They talked late into the night. She was just beginning to look for a fresh start herself. Her father’s passing had been more of a relief, after months of seeing him suffer. Now Sam needed something new to brighten her spirits.